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Garden of Hades, diary of a veteran of New Sajar
Garden of Hades 'is a short war journal written by Georgi Zuranev, soldier of the 12th Assault Legion of the Commonwealth, during the Aramathi liberation war. Due to the high percentage of casualties suffered during the invasion of New Sajar, few soldiers were able (or wanted to) write about their experiences before, during and after their battles against the Zracon Union. Georgi's report is quite unique in the fact that he and his unit fought with barely any interruption from the landing to the last "pacification" of the remains of the Zracon army. The author of the journal died six days after victory was oficially declared by the government in Ortus during an ambush by desperate, Zracon Enlighteners. He is considered one of the last Commonwealth soldiers to die in the war. Prelude to the invasion Part 1, leaving Ortus. ''I will never forgive the sight of the whole, 12th assault legion marching for war. 1 million men between soldiers and support personnel, 10,000 tanks and transports, three times that number in artillery and enough supply to feed one of our cities for a whole year. Such was the number of men and machines on the field, the snow around us began to melt, turning the ground into soft mud as we waited for a transport to pick us up. '' ''Watching all those men and weapons, I thought we alone could easily take New Sajar from the flowers(*1), yet our legion was not the only one marching to war against their Union. Eleven others were already getting into their own ships, some human like us, others Kithri who want to do their part in the war. You gotta hand it to them ,not even fifty years have gone by since they were given sapience and already they are ready to fight by our side. Two months ago, me and my boys had some war games with another platoon of Kithri and, while we did win in the end, they really made us sweat for every piece of terrain we captured. '' ''I have not seen them, but it seems for this invassion High Command will be deploying their new killer cans(*2). I have never seen one in action, but Branicki has assured everyone in his briefings that they will be quite useful when we get to fight the flowers. He himself will be fighting and leading us in one of the cans, like one of those medieval generals leading his armies on top of his steed. I just hope he doesn´t just charge head-on and get himself killed at the start of the fight. '' ''My platoon, the 234th, is ready for combat. Captain Lassina has given us little time to rest to make sure we are all ready for the fight. This will be the first time in more than a century that humanity goes to war and the very first time that it does against an enemy that is not itself. Either way, we are not worried. We are well-trained, armed and have the fleet by our side. Druso made a bet that the war would be over one week after our landing. I hope he is right. '' *1:Flower is the nickname given to Zracon soldiers by Commonwealth servicemen. *2:Nickname of the first mech units deployed for combat. While advanced for their time, their moves were still clumbsy, with a main, body shape which reminded many soldiers of the standard cans of food they recieved during lunch. Part 2, Journey and bombardment ''One time I heard war is 95% percent waiting and 5% fighting for your life. True enough, after playing cat and mouse with the flower's fleet for a few months, Task Force Manticore has finally managed to gain control of the skies over New Sajar and begun a bombardment of their fortifications and bunkers. '' ''The process is a slow one, since we do not want to hurt any Aramathi civilians by accident. Lassina has informed us that several members of their resistance force will be linking with us during the landing so we have guides and experts of the terrain we will be fighting on. We have not seen any Aramathi yet, but still I cannot say I don´t welcome the chance to have someone to help me move across this strange place. Unlike Ortus, there is no snow to be seen, only arid terrains and a few rivers with tall mountains and cliffs at their sides. The sight of these cliffs has made many members of our platoon nervous. Even Druso is having second thoughts about his bet. '' ''Anyway, whenever we are not training and reading reports and maps of what we are going to find on the surface, some of us go to watch the fleet pound Zracon positions. It is a strange feeling, seeing shells fall from one of the ships and create a miniature explosion thousands of miles below our position. Admiral Shu Lin wants to make sure no bunker or fortress stands on our way during the landing and we are all grateful for it. Even then, some Zracon will still survive and fight. Our AL-40's(*3) will be busy soon. *3: Before the AL-58 became the standard weapon of the Commonwealth's armed forces, the nation's army had a diverse selection of guns. The AL-40 was the long-range variant, used mostly by explorers and rangers to skirmish with the foe. Landing Part 3, heat and dust While they did warn us a thousand times before landing, I can´t say any of us expected New Sajar to be so...hot. Even without furs or the standard winter-protection cloacks we have worn since joining the army, when the ship's gates opened and we stepped into the sands, the heat still made many of us stagger and even drop, confused by the heat. Luckily, I remembered to bring extra bottles with water to survive the heat. '' ''The whole invasion force has not been deployed all at once on the same territory, or even the same continent. Different armies had taken different positions across those areas more battered by Task Force Manticore's guns. The 1st legion has taken the North while we, the 12th, are given one of the many mountain ranges to the South. To help us with what is going to be a hard fight, High Command has given us more heavy guns to shake the mountains and force the flowers out of their hiding holes. '' ''Waiting for us on our landing position were twenty members of the ALF(*4), only half of whom were armed or looked old enough to fight. After Lassina shared a few words with the leader, she asigned one member of the ALF to each of our platoons. Ours was a young fellow with light-brown fur and really green eyes who still was taller than Frederich, our First Lieutenant. After several failed attempts of trying to learn how to properly say his name, Vincent, the platoon's jester, decided that the best thing to do was give our Aramathi a nickname. He chose "Pup" which annoyed our furry friend at first before he began to get used to it. '' ''Anyway, our first mission was to explore the skirts of the mountain ranges near our landing positions. Pup called them the "White Spine" and warned us about several Zracon regiments deployed in the area. The "Aurelian", one of the corvettes of Task Force Manticore, will be given us support fire during the advance and destroy any position our own artillery cannot blow out of the map. '' ''It has taken us nearly one day to deploy the full 12th legion. Still, by the time the last tank touched the sands of New Sajar, our own platoon was already advancing to the mountains. Now it is time to see how tough these flowers are. *4: Aramathi Liberation Forces, the name given to the mixture of organized squads and badly-armed gangs fighting against Zracon occupation before and during the liberation of New Sajar. Part 4, an unexpected foe It has been two days since the fight ended and finally I have the will to write about what happened at the skirts of the White Spine. Moving fast and with the artillery watching our backs, we began to advance on irregular ground as we neared the mountains. With hills and huge, broken rocks everywhere, we began to slow down and inspect every corner and crack before moving forth. Pup more than earned its pay that day, showing us paths and hiding spots a Zracon force could have flanked us from without us being the wiser. '' ''Two hours before sunset, we finally made contact with something living. To our surprise they were Aramathi, dozens of them, only slightly better armed than our own guides. Thinking that this was another group coming to support us, we began to lower our weapons when Pup shouted us a warning. Before the men at our front lines could understand what was going on, our "friends" charged forwards, screaming as they fired their weapons, killing and wounding several members of our platoon in the first volleys. Liman and Mahum, two of our best shots, could only fire a couple of shots before a dozen bayonets pierced their bodies, cutting them to bloody ribbons before we could slay their killers. '' ''Thanks to Pup's warning, my squad managed to take cover and deliver several volleys of disciplined fire which cut many of the crazed Aramathi down. I fired on instinct, my brain still unable to understand what was happening. We were here to liberate the Aramathi. Why were they shooting at us then and stabbing at out bodies as if we were the very personification of evil? There was no time for questions. Only a few seconds after the start of the firefight, tall, slender figures appeared from behind one of the hills, their long, heavy weapons sounding almost like cannons as they directed their fire at us. This was our first dance with Zracon Enlighteners and, let me tell you, not even the most pesimistic reports can properly explain what it's like to face one of these oversized, killer plants. Even before we saw them and heard the loud bark of their guns, we heard their battle chants, a sound even more terrible than the crazed battle cries of the brainwashed Aramathi as we cut them down one-by-one. Moving with the discipline of trained soldiers, they used their badly-armed servants as a screen to soak up our fire before making their advance. Such was the power of their guns, even misses sent deadly shrapnel all around, wounding several soldiers as they tried to find cover and slow down the enemy's advance. Lassina did not waste time as she saw the arrival of the Zracon. Still far away from us, they quickly became the main target of our artillery. Nearly half of those sent to stop us were blown into pieces of petal and green flesh before they fell back, leaving their Aramathi slaves to slow us down as they searched for cover. I still managed to slay one of them during their flight with two shots into the back of its skull. As the artillery fire ceased we took the hill and began to dig trenches, still shaking and confused after the swift yet bloody battle. '' ''As similar reports arrived from other units of the 12th, Pup finally spoke to us about the reason as to why those Aramathi had attacked us. During the last few years, Zracon priests have focused their efforts in coverting captured Aramathi to their religion. Pup had thought no member of his species would ever do so, yet had heard rumors of a young Zracon priest finding a way to brainwash large numbers of Aramathi so they could be used for the defence of New Sajar. Many of the 79 Aramathi bodies which littered the ground had marks and pieces of paper with Zracon jibberish written on them. Our morale quickly dropped after that. It is one thing to fight a foe who willingly wants to battle you, but facing the people you wanted to save who are not even aware of what they are doing? '' ''Aside from the 79 Aramathi, we found bits and pieces of Zracon which together could have belonged to 36 of their Enlighteners. Our own casualties, I guess, were light in comparisson. 8 dead and thrice as many wounded, many with pieces of rock stabbing through their armor and flesh. Amongst the dead was Vincent, his chest now showing a big, bloodied hole after a round from a Zracon gun found its mark. We will miss his jokes and sense of humor in the coming days. '' '' While the Aurelian bombed what we hoped would be the Zracon positions, our engineers began to inspect the guns used by our Zracon foes. These Plant Cannons(*5) were so heavy, it was hard for any of us to lift them, let alone shoot the damned things. Only the Lieutenant was able to carry and fire one and even then his arms ached afterwards due to the weapon's surprising kick. While they are not as fancy or precisse as our own rifles, none of us are willing to underestimate these things, or the Zracons who wield them. *5: ''The "Confessor" rifle was the most common weapon used by Zracon Enlighteners during the war. Heavy and sturdy, it was often used as a close-range weapon which, mixed with the natural strenght of a Zracon soldier, made it a fearsome tool of death. Part 5, Into hell ''Few of our troops were ready to sleep the night after the battle. Maybe sharing our sentiment, the Zracon tried several attacks, most of them just minor skirmishes which ended the moment our artillery released their load on the positions their heavy fire came from. Two more men died during these fights, with seven others being wounded. With the Aurelian waiting over their heads, the Zracon's own artillery pieces are to scared to fire back, knowing that the moment they deliver their first shot, several heavy guns will be targeting them several hundreds of miles from above. Following the standard procedure we practiced so many times at the academy, our platoon rested while two companies made an advance towards the skirts of the mountains. Due to the irregular terrain, they cannot bring tanks to support the advance for now, but still a high number of heavy weapons have been brought forwards to stop any more wave attacks by brainwashed Aramathi converts. '' ''Replacements were sent to cover our losses from the battle of the previous day. Of the 50 who had landed with me one morning ago, 10 were dead and twice that number were sent to the hospital. Half the platoon out of action in one day...not the best way to start this war I fear. '' ''What happened on the skirts of the mountains made me realize however, that our luck could have been far, far worse. Watching from afar, we saw several Zracon formations coming out of their hidden positions to counter the advance of our troops. Instead of firing from afar like they had done the previous day however, the enlighteners, wearing those fancy mask which allowed them to sing over the sounds of battle(*6), fired and advanced at the same time, careless about casualties as they tried to reach our lines. '' ''At first, we thought the 45th and 123rd companies would be able to stop the Zracon advance, their fire slaying droves of them while taking only a few casualties in return. Our mood changed however when Pup shouted as a warning while pointing to the right flank of our advancing force. '' ''This was our first sighting of the Zracon's flamethrower tank (*7) and sadly it would not be the last. Moving like a huge, metallic boulder on tracks, six of these monsters suddenly appeared and released long tongues of some flaming substance on our troops, melting many into puddles of liquid flesh and bones before our eyes. Stunned by this sudden attack, the previously disciplined fire of the companies broke as their officers tried to fall back and turn all heavy guns towards the new menace. Seeing their chance, the battered Zracon sang louder as they reached the lines of the 123rd, stabbing and cutting down many men with terrifying ease.'' '' To close for our artillery fire, the companies had no choice but to fall back to our positions. Nearly every single member of the 123rd was killed, with only a quarter of the 45th reaching our entrenched positions before they could be turned into liquid soldier. Close to 500 soldiers dead in less than an hour. It was a victory the Zracon did not wish to let waste with a foolish attack into our now-ready positions, so they retreated back into the mountains, or artillery fire following them close. '' ''Soon, we would be the one's to attack that position, a destiny which (needless to say) we all dreaded. *6: The war masks worn by Zracon enlighteners not only allows them to fight even during the night, but also is equiped with systems which amplify their voices to the point where they can be heard over the fire of their guns. *7: The "Purger" Zracon heavy tank was a common sight on the battlefields of New Sajar. Covered in heavy armor and with several, long-range fire weapons, it was incredibly effective against infantry and sometimes light armor. Into the mountains Part 6, taking the skirts Before we were sent to New Sajar, the soldiers of the 12th legion spent much of their time training in the mountains of Ortus. Mountain warfare is a difficult business, with soldiers having not only to face their enemy, but also the elements and the mountain itself. One wrong step and you will fall to your death before an enemy gun can even get its sights on you. An assault group(*8) made of different companies from the 12th legion was made to breach the outter defences of the Zracon line and get into the mountains. Our engineers made sure to flatten the path to our target, both to allow supplies to reach us without many difficulties and give our tanks and heavy armour the chance to join the fight. The 4th Honor Guard dragoons, an elite regiment attached to our army(*9), deployed close to two dozen tanks to face the Zracon's own armor. While they might have been a bit to smug to my liking I have to admit, they knew their business well and saved our hides plenty of times when we began our advance. With Pup near the head of our formation, we made good time as we marched under the gaze of the merciless sun of New Sajar. To prevent us from getting killed by the system's star, our Aramathi guide showed us a few tricks humanity have forgotten about after centuries living in a planet were winter is nearly constant. The lieutenant commanding the two tanks attached to our company, an old man by the name of Renald, quickly realized the value of Pup's council. Soon, the poor guy spent half his time moving from one platoon to the next, guiving advice sometimes and even correcting the tactics of our officers whenever they entered somewhere perfect for an ambush. '' ''The next two days were one's of constant, attrition warfare. Sometimes we gained ground, others we lost it after a decisive counter attack by a strong, Zracon column. Casualties continued to grow, officers died and had to be replaced and whole companies were eliminated in mere minutes under the weight of Zracon fire, bayoneys and flame-throwing armor. Fighting uphill, we barely had a moment of peace as squads of enlighteners tried to push us out of their mountain. Always trying to stay close to us, they made life quite difficult for our artillery batteries and the gunners on the Aurelian. Some of our soldiers collapsed of sheer nerves after surviving to many Zracon charges and needed to be pulled back to recover. '' ''I still do not know how we managed to survive. Renald and the Honor Guard did their part well, taking out any flame-throwing tank which dared to show up. We, in the meantime, made a circle around our armor, killing any Zracon or brainwashed Aramathi who tried to blow them up with anti-tank weaponry, including grenades. Once, we were to slow and spent two hours surrounded by foes as a tank's crew tried to repair the engine of their vehicle after a lucky shot from a Zracon found its mark. By that time, I was no longer a private, but the serjeant of my squad. Our captain too had died by then, killed as she personally commanded her troops to take one of the few remaining bunkers in the mountain passes. '' ''Finally, after whole pools of blood were spent and wasted on the mountains, the 12th managed to get into the White Spines. Of our losses I knew nothing, nor wanted to know (*10) *8: Assault groups were temporary formations made to face difficult enemy resistance. Depending on the situation, the numbers change, with some being as large as a regiment (2000 soldiers) and others five times larger. *9: Due to its low numbers, the Honor Guard could only be deployed in small numbers, always supporting other forces in the Commonwealth army. *10: By then, the 12th Assault legion had suffered 25 percent casualties between dead and wounded, a number matched by many other armies fighting all over New Sajar. Part 7, mountain special forces Once again, I write about our experiences several days after they have happened. The Zracon are not kind enough to give us free time to write or even rest while we try to drag them out of these damned mountains. As more and more people are carried out of here on a stretcher, or in a body bag, the system of rotation which had allowed us some moments of peace and quiet is starting to dissapear. Our men fight and fight, taking one mountain after the next while news arrive of other legions still fighting and bleeding in other parts of the planet. '' ''Luckily for us, our sister legion (the 11th assault) had met with fewer resistence than expected (*11) so they could now reinforce us as we began to surround and destroy one by one the Zracon's positions. Made entirely of Kithri, and with the help of more of our much-needed Aramathi guides, the 11th showed its worth even if they did suffer horrible casualties during the first stages of their offensive. Lacking our experience in mountain warfare, Branicki has decided to give them the duty of taking the valleys instead, while we clean the mountain tops. The current duty of my platoon now is to climb mountains and take those artillery and heavy guns positions our own guns cannot seem to destroy. Taking hidden paths or just daring the mountains with specialized climbing equipment, we moved in small fire-team groups (*12) with support from both the Aurelian and the fighter bombers of our airforce. Taking fortified positions in the mountains is always a risky business. During one attack into one, we faced a squad of wounded enlighteners which immediately counter attacked, using their rifles as spears and clubs. Our guide, Pup, died during that battle as he covered our retreat, detonating several grenades just as the Zracon came at him. Sadly, nothing remained of his body. Still, we all swore to build him a monument worthy of his courage once this thrice-damned war was over. '' *11: Due to the strenght and numbers of the invasion force, the Zracon high command chose not to defend all the territories of New Sajar. The target of the 11th Kithri assault legion, lands covered with hills and small cities, was defended only by 5000 Zracon and half the number in converted Aramathi, a force the 11th dealt with after a series of short, yet bloody battles. *12:Fire team groups were made of 5 members and used mostly in urban and mountain warfare, were small units were far more effective. Leaving the mountains Cementery of tanks ''Today I bury Druso, the last member of my old platoon. We never spoke of the bet, or shared any words aside from what we would be expecting on our next mission and new tactics to face our Zracon foes. I trusted him with my life, but, after so much carnage and death, I cannot say I recognized him any more. Our Aramathi allies have changed as well. Angry with those who had turned their people against them, they have become quite brutal with those few Zracon we manage to capture, especially their chaplains. I cannot say I blame them for their anger and need for payback. What would I do if my family, my friends, were turned into brainless automatons convinced to kill me and I had to slay them all to survive? Wouldn´t I want to make the bastards responsable pay and suffer? '' ''Either way, it does not matter. The war continues and at least now I finally can flee from the mountains which have seen so many of my friends die. Some poor souls of the 11th had to remain there, hunting down what few Zracon still remain there. Maybe once upon a time I would have admired their tenacity, hated them for their fanaticism. Now thought, now I am just wishing they could just roll over and die, to save us all the trouble. Now fighting to link with our army at the North, my regiment (made of the remains of several others) served as infantry support for the 4th Honor Guard dragoons as we entered territory filled with cities and villages full of Zracon garrisons. The 12th assault legion, now a shadow of its former self yet still battle-ready, focused its entire tank force, alongside that of the 11th as they marched across the sandy plains in search for new targets. Fighting here is an almost-pleasant change when compared to the mountains we had left behind. With fewer places to hide, Zracon formations were destroyed by our superior airforce even before the could have our land forces on their sights. Even weaker than we are after weeks of constant warfare, the Zracon are growing desperate and it shows, their bayonet charges no longer as well coordinated and supported as they were in the past (*13). There were still bad days ahead thought. The sun which had been boiling us since the start of the campaign dissapeared one morning as huge, grey clouds began to cover the sky. Why arid, New Sajar sees heavy rain every few months, a rain which lasts for days and turns sand into mud. Despite the conditions (or maybe growing confident because of them) the Zracon prepared a counter-offensive. Covered by heavy clouds and moving across seas of soft mud, our column suddenly was attacked by a huge wave of Zracon armor, followed by blocks of chanting infantry and support guns (*14) The battle which followed was either a strange dream, or a horrible nightmare. Anyway, I remember none of the details, only my finger on the trigger as I kept wave after wave of infantry away from the tanks of the Honor Guard. Our armored friends, in turn, began to blow up enemy tanks even before they could get within their range, until a forest of burning wrecks adorned the field before us. I spent my voice shouting orders over the sounds of our tank's guns and the constant war songs of the Zracon. Reinforcements arrived, first other platoons, then more thanks and whole companies which fought and died to stop the Zracon from breaking our line. Did we do it? Since I was alive at the end of the battle, I guess we did. Of my platoon, more than half were dead or wounded, the boys of the 4th dragoons sharing a similar fate, with only one of their tanks still functioning by the end of the battle. Despite our losses however, the Zracon sent no further attacks, finally allowing us the respite we had craved for so long. *13: By this time, the Zracon army was on its last legs, their casualties many times those suffered by the Commonwealth's legions. *14: The battle detailed here was part of the major Zracon offensive known as the "Battle of Ragranas", one of the largest tank-against-tank battles in human history. Last days Spent and needing fuel, ammo and replacements, the 12th assault legion did not take part of the last days of the war. There was little to be done though, the last Zracon forces either going underground or trying hopeless, suicide charges our veteran troops disposed of with ease. '' ''In bed with a cold an so exhausted i could barely breathe, let along move a finger, I learnt little to nothing about the battle between our fleet and the Zracon one, the victory of Task Force Manticore or the Flower higher-ups finally deciding to end the war. The fact that it is all over, and that I managed to survive it all, is more than enough for me. Once the planet is finally pacified, I will leave my gun and spend the rest of my days drinking to the health of the fallen. Finally, I will have peace (*15) *15: This was the last entry made by the author before being shot during a patrol searching for Zracon survivors. Category:Stories and reports Category:Battles